


zoeya's almanac on pandora's fauna and flora

by delurks



Series: beyond the borderlands [1]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animals, Borderlandscast, Gen, Gore, Guns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 20:43:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 8,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7121866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delurks/pseuds/delurks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the contents of this almanac are a loose series of notes focusing on pandora’s fauna and flora, compiled by doctor zoeya during her stay on pandora and elpis. this almanac contains photographic contributions from her many assistants, vault hunters, freelancers, travelers and mercenaries who were kind enough to submit them.</p><p>while splashes of violence occasionally crop up in photos between the photographers and the subjects, nobody was seriously hurt (i think - zoeya).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. rakk hive (dead)

**Author's Note:**

> there are doodles to go along with each post! each post will have the respective tumblr post linked at the beginning. unless otherwise stated, siins drew the doodles. posts appear earlier on the borderlandscast tumblr in [this tag](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/tagged/beyond-the-borderlands%3A-zoeya%27s-book) before they're uploaded here!

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/130061418164/submitted-by-zoeya-subject-rakk-hive-dead) TO PROCEED TO IMAGE #9487 // -

**subject: rakk hive (dead)**

> interestingly, the weak spots of a rakk hive are its many eyes. if you try shooting it anywhere else, the bullets simply sink into or bounce off its tough hide! it probably has a very high pain tolerance. 
> 
> the hump in whick rakks live reaches maximum size when the rakk hive reaches maturity for rakks to begin taking up residence in it. it’s likely cordoned off (in a manner akin to a diaphragm) so that its internal organs aren’t accidentally damaged by any rakks.
> 
> i’m fairly confident that the hump that the rakks move in and out of also has a series of airways linked to the rakk hive’s lungs. how else would it be able to hibernate underground _and_ breathe? the hump is also mostly exposed above ground when the rakk hive hibernates. this requires further investigation, though!
> 
> i believe we were lucky enough to find this magnificent and lovely specimen in the evening. unfortunately, it proved far too aggressive! my assistant had to put it down :( 
> 
> my assistant is not happy because he ran out of ammo right when the rakk hive went down and all the rakks that lived inside the rakk hive came out (they just lost their house so i don’t blame them) and started to dive-bomb him then so he had to use his bare hands to fight them off.
> 
> i recorded and snapped pictures of the whole incident (he doesn’t know, ssshh; it’ll be our little secret).
> 
> the good news is that i got fresh samples of a rakk hive which is why i’m covered up to my elbows in rakk hive guts! i also asked my assistant to help gather samples because i wasn’t tall enough to reach some of the bits.
> 
> his reach is further than mine so i asked him to kindly reach in to fetch a bit of lung. i may have asked him to overextend his reach. he almost fell in. whoops.


	2. skag (domesticated)

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/130877654179/submitted-by-martynsubject-skag-domesticated) TO PROCEED TO IMAGE #14587 // -

> submitted by _martyn_.

**subject: skag (domesticated)**

> it is notoriously difficult to domesticate pandoran wildlife. most of the time, they tend to bite, gnaw or maul their way to freedom. some pandoran folk have managed to overcome this tendency for violence by raising specimens from infancy. any fear towards humans are likely taught to infant specimens from the older ones, like any other life lessons they pick up as they grow!
> 
> nearly all of the wild pandoran wildlife understand that anybody equipped with a gun poses a threat and thus, warrant hostile behaviour on sight! or at least, they seem to be more aggressive towards anybody with a gun. unarmed people will still get attacked. they just seem less inclined to do so if somebody unarmed is walking around their territory?
> 
> _i could set up an experiment with myself as a control, track down some random skag dens, measure bite force using a force meter…_
> 
> _measure differences in bite force between all groups?_
> 
> _my trigger-happy assistant can be a variable? i can have something shaped like a gun as another variable…i’d need another volunteer though…_
> 
> _what do you mean i can’t use myself in the experiment? it’s inadvisable? i’ll get bitten? don’t be silly, it’ll be fine! it’s not like i haven’t been bitten before, i can handle it!_
> 
>  it is also not surprising that pandoran wildlife have also developed a (worrying) taste for human flesh in addition to their usual diet! many humans (mostly inexperienced travellers and tourists) have fallen prey to them due to underestimating the extent pandoran wildlife will go to feed on human meat when they’re starving.
> 
> some species are also cannibalistic! especially skags, who have no problem devouring bits from other dead skags. i’ve stolen some of my assistant’s skag jerky and have fed it to some of the skags kept in captivity here; they appear to have devoured the jerky with no apparent problems or moral dilemma. in fact, they seem to express a desire for more of it.
> 
> …i’m going to return the skag jerky.


	3. rakk hive (alive)

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/131744023884/submitted-by-rythian-subject-rakk-hive-alive) TO PROCEED TO IMAGE #9465 // -

> submitted by _rythian._

**subject: rakk hive (alive)**

> rakk hives tend to be solitary creatures. little is known about their breeding habits, diet, average lifespan and internal biology! which is kind of the point of why i’m here on pandora in the first place.
> 
> what we do know is that rakk hives are highly aggressive and are prone to chasing down a threat to the point of pigheadedness and abandoning their territory. once a rakk hive charges, it’s not likely to stop until it’s dead, distracted or deterred in some extreme manner.
> 
> they have a mutualistic relationship with rakks. rakks appear to live in the rakk hive’s hump and will attack threats to the rakk hive on top of scavenging kills from the rakk hive’s rampage. the rakk hive benefits from having a protective flock of rakks that may also pick off parasites and etc. from the rakk hive’s hide.
> 
> …try saying rakk hive’s hide ten times really fast. it’s _hard_. 
> 
> rakk hives also tend to hibernate through burying themselves in the ground (while leaving their humps exposed to breathe?) when pandora’s brutal winters arrive, though they can wake up if harmed or disturbed, like when people accidentally walk on them. my assistant and i learned the latter the hard way!
> 
> come to think of it, nobody has ever seen the inside of a rakk hive’s hump before. i wonder if i can sneak a camera and tracker into one’s hump while it’s hibernating. if a rakk can fit in there, i’m sure a camera can do so!


	4. drifter

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/132267905734/submitted-by-rythian-attached-comment-i-hope) TO PROCEED TO IMAGE #25465 // -

submitted by _rythian._

> attached comment: I hope you appreciate this picture because I almost died to this thing about ten seconds later!

**subject: drifter**

> i was pleasantly surprised to find this picture in my inbox! it’s from my former assistant too (thank you rythian, your sacrifice will not be in vain). drifters aren’t that common on the northwestern coast on pandora. they’re very specific to hunter’s grotto (which is down south) and in the desert on the east coast. drifters have been described by both of my assistants as ‘giant f**king a**holes to deal with, next to threshers’. in my opinion, drifters are kind of cute, in their own way! 
> 
> that being said, there are two subspecies (if they can even be called that): swamp and desert drifters. i’m not sure of the differences between the two since i haven’t had the chance to study them up close yet so i’ve mostly been relying on accounts from travellers!
> 
> drifters appear to live in pairs; they are rarely found in groups. if a drifter is ‘alone’, the other one is likely to be close by, hidden under sand (or mud). they like to initiate surprise attacks by burying themselves under sand/mud and springing out. 
> 
> they are very aggressive and territorial. drifters have been known to attack bandit convoys, vehicles, loaders or turrets (anything, really) that strays too close to them using their front mandibles to pierce straight through their target. i have a suspicion that they’re omnivorous but i need to dissect the stomach of one that recently ate to find out (do they even have a stomach? that shows how little we know about drifters).
> 
> i suspect the reason why drifters (and everything else on pandora) can grow so large is because of the high oxygen content of pandora’s atmosphere? that’s one of the limiting factors for creature size on other planets. and the rather low gravity on pandora as well.
> 
> …the latter would explain why both of my assistants are able to jump off buildings and structures without fear of fall damage? i haven’t tried it myself but i’ll work up the nerve to try it someday!


	5. sand worms

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/132789589089/submitted-by-lalna-attached-comment-i-got-sand) TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #23465, #23466, #23467 // -

submitted by _lalna_.

> attached comment: i got sand in my boots while taking these pictures :( also, these are the only shots that didn’t turn out blurry or full of acid (plus a bonus selfie). 

**subject: sand worms**

> thank you lalna, for submitting these pictures! i hope you didn’t get hit or had a shield on while you were getting up close and personal (i’m a little jealous, i have to admit but not about getting a face full of acid).
> 
> sand worms are native to oasis and the surrounding desert areas. the neighbouring area is thought to have been named after them, hence the name ‘wurmwater’!
> 
> it’s stated in the tourist guide to oasis that it’s better to use sand skiffs to navigate through the region since the sand worms have a highly acidic spit attack. sand skiffs are generally more thickly coated and can withstand the acid attacks more compared to technicals and other lightly armoured vehicles.
> 
> it’s assumed that sand worms can detect prey through the vibrations prey give off when moving over ground via their long feelers (they look like tongues as per the pictures). i also assume they rely on this ability to survive since they don’t actually possess any visible eyes!
> 
> these worms do have extensive burrows and are second (perhaps equal) to threshers in terms of moving through the ground like it’s water! that must mean they also must have a hard head to do so in order to break through such solid ground!
> 
> i wonder if anybody’s ever set up a race between a thresher and a sand worm? they’d probably end up fighting though; nobody has also ever seen threshers occupy the same territory as sand worms. perhaps it’s because the desert is too hot and dry for threshers? threshers tend to occupy more humid and damp areas since they’re also amphibious. sand worms don’t seem to like water much, in comparison.
> 
> i’ll go and see if my assistant is amenable to the idea of catching and racing these critters. it would make for a highly entertaining paper!


	6. turf thresher (mossmud variant)

\- // PLEASE [CLICK ](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/133130041269/subject-turf-thresher-mossmud-variant-today-for)TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #15465 & #15466// -

**subject: turf thresher (mossmud variant)**

> today for my almanac, i’ll be discussing threshers! they originally came from elpis (pandora’s one and only moon) and can survive in no oxygen (vacuum?) and oxygen environments. this one owning my old assistant is a variant of a variant of thresher. it’s classified as a turf thresher but people have named these oddly coloured ones ‘mossmud’ threshers given its vegetative camouflage!
> 
> threshers are also about as territorial as rakk hives but thankfully, don’t pursue prey or intruders beyond their territory. threshers prefer a wet environment; it’s suspected that they’re filter feeders judging by the intricate baleen where their mouth is located. however, they can and will eat anything thrown their way. i tested this with more of my new assistant’s skag jerky where the threshers opened up their actual mouths so the jerky didn’t get caught on the baleen!
> 
> threshers attack using their prehensile tentacles that are directly connected to them or extrude up from the ground. these tentacles are often spiky and allow the thresher to reach quite far. cutting or shooting the tentacles often doesn’t harm a thresher (much) since they just eventually regrow them! these tentacles vary among thresher variants (to be documented in more detail later).
> 
> i’m surprised my old assistant didn’t get a scar from being slapped by a thresher. i’m also glad i caught the entire thing on camera and video! he also doesn’t know this blog exists.


	7. cave crystalisk

\- // PLEASE [CLICK ](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/tagged/zoeya%27s-book%3A-crystalisks)TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #23479 & #23480// -

submitted by _will strife._

> would you rather fight a giant crystalisk or fifty small crystalisks?

**subject: crystalisk (cave)**

> strife kindly submitted this after his trip to hayter’s folly! crystalisks are creatures that appeared on pandora after an incident involving the opening of a vault? that’s what rythian hypothesizes since he’s been on pandora longer than i have. i’m going to take his word for it as there’s not a lot of history or information on crystalisks to be found.
> 
> these creatures are unusual since they’re a living organism fused with inorganic material (crystals). they bleed light blue blood but it’s difficult to damage them enough for them to bleed in the first place since their hides are impervious to bullets and elemental damage. the only weak points are the crystal clusters around their legs. 
> 
> the clusters can come off with a well-placed melee attack. not that i’ve tried it myself, of course. the crystals are supposedly worth quite a bit on the black market. getting them isn’t without risk due to the way these creatures attack! 
> 
> crystalisks can stomp things that come close enough to them on top of being able to fire spikes. they can fire a small burst of them or a particularly explosive ‘mine’ that explodes a few second later. both are particularly painful if one doesn’t have a shield equipped. 
> 
> i’ve spent a few hours picking spikes out from my assistant’s wounds while they were testing a tranquillizer for me and the dose wasn’t strong enough, so the crystalisk woke up during sample gathering and well. oops. 
> 
> the ones pictured above are cave crystalisks. they can only be found in hayter’s folly. they are rumoured to do shock damage. how they do this, i have no idea but i’m going to take a trip up to hayter’s folly (with the help of a local guide) to find out soon!


	8. abnormally giant skag

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/140667156664/drawn-by-siins-submitted-by-nanosounds)TO PROCEED TO IMAGE #25412 // -

submitted by _nanosounds_.

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa… _message has been cut short due to hitting maximum character limit._

**subject: abnormally giant skag**

it’s extremely rare to find giant specimens while traveling in unmapped, remote areas. rakk hives are the most commonly encountered by wayward travelers though pandorans do warn of encountering other species. unfortunately, most of these specimens are usually classified as a danger, so bounties tend to crop up calling for their elimination.

how do these creatures get so large in the first place? pandoran wildlife have learned to make the most out of what they can eat; they’re basically gluttons. they’ll eat _anything_. including their dead. whatever they eat, their metabolism makes sure that nothing is wasted.

that said, echo devices, someone’s fingers, tools, technical parts, shredded tires, the list goes on as to what can be found in a dissected individual’s insides. some of these items are never digested, which can hinder recovery of important items. depending on the species, stuff is either digested extraordinarily quickly or slowly, over time. skags tend to fall in the middle, possessing an average metabolism in comparison to say, threshers and stalkers.

it doesn’t appear to cause animals any discomfort to have all that stuff stuck inside their stomach (or stomachs, can’t assume everything is like us humans)! it’s likely due to how naturally resilient they are in the first place, both inside and out (i mean, i’ve extracted pointy bone shards capable of punching holes in the lining of a more fragile stomach, like a human’s!). that being said, let’s talk about skags.

this image was snapped by a friend. when i first saw the photo, i didn’t believe that they were fighting a giant skag. in a mine. skags do dig out burrows to live in, so maybe this one dug down too far, hit a mine shaft, fell and got stuck?

my assistant tells me that it fed off lost humans. now, a normal, adult-sized skag is smaller than a human but what they lack in size, they make up for in their bite and tenacity. once a skag bites, they will maul whatever it is they’re trying to kill/ingest or die trying. if you’re being bitten, it’s pointless to try to stab them since their hides are made out of tough, bony plates that get harder as the skag ages.

sometimes, these plates end up growing over their eyes. it’s not a problem for skags! skags have a larger olfactory bulb (the bit in the brain responsible for processing smells) than humans. that means they rely more on their sense of smell to get by!

if you’ve never seen a skag scent before, they let their pink, thin, long, prehensile tongue hang out between their three jaws.i suspect that when they roar, it’s both to intimidate and figure out where their prey is. or to cool down. it’s a wild guess (getting data is difficult since they don’t like to be directly observed).

most people tend to take the chance to shoot rather than admire how skags don’t have teeth; they have barbs approximating the function of teeth instead.

as an experiment, i’ve dropped meat several at varying distances (upwind, downwind, no wind, etc.) near random groups of wild skags. they can usually find it extraordinarily quickly if the wind is in their favor. it takes them a little longer if there’s no wind or the wind is against them.

they also appear to recognize certain scents (e.g. guns, humans, vehicles, food) and react accordingly, which indicates some level of intelligence and long (or short?) term memory. even the littles one end up learning what certain smells mean.

that’s just a normal skag. now, a giant skag is something! my assistant who had a hand in killing one tells me it took four vault hunters, a bartender and a mercenary to take it down; its armor was so thick that no explosives or bullets could even scratch it!

….come to think of it, that’s probably a setup for some sort of joke. and that skag must have eaten a _lot_ of humans. 

i’m still sad i didn’t get the chance to examine it in person. i still have samples taken from it to log so that makes up for it, just a little.


	9. tri-tail stalker

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/142560324519/drawn-by-siins-submitted-by-teep-look-at-this) TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #3965 TO # 3968// -

submitted by _teep_.

> look at this loser.

**subject: tri-tail stalker**

this picture was taken a long, long time ago by one of my assistants, back when they apparently visited oasis? i’m not sure if they’re referring to the stalker or my former assistant.

anyway, stalkers are four-legged beasts that exist only on the west coast in the highlands and around the oasis area. they tend to avoid human settlements and areas that overlap with that of other pandoran wildlife, preferring to live in social groups of at least five individuals built up around their nests.

i’m not sure what the nests are made out of exactly, given that i haven’t had the chance to examine them in greater detail; stalkers are very territorial (like 99% of everything on this planet is) and don’t take kindly to anybody, even unarmed people, approaching them! i’ll have to wait until coming across a former stalker habitat to get samples and analyze them.

in my opinion, stalkers are one of the more fascinating critters, despite their er, temperamental natures! stalkers are most famous for their ability to ‘vanish’.

this ‘vanishing’ ability stems from the unique chromatophores embedded in their skin that are light reflecting cells. dissections i’ve performed have revealed that these cells are linked to their nervous system and the stalker’s brain. the nervous system is in turn connected to a unique organ called the ‘sach’s organ’. this organ is located in the vestigial wings. it’s a sort of squishy looking gland thing.

the sach’s organ consists of electrolytes (muscle-like cells) that, when discharged, give the stalker its ability to camouflage. if the stalker is surprised or frightened, they tend to ‘vanish’ on instinct, based on some tests i’ve run (involving some grenades and flashbangs).

i theorize that their brains releases a signal (i suspect stalkers have some sort of neurotransmitter doing that for them), causing the neurons to fire, triggering the sach’s organ that causes the chromatophores to change accordingly to match the environment.

interestingly enough, stalkers have these odd plates that are said to be ‘solar cells’ lining their back to help them recharge the sach’s organ. these appear to be some sort of highly specialized mitochondria? chloroplasts? a new type of cell altogether? i could name it after me (or my girlfriend)! i wish my field microscope hadn’t broken…

all stalkers have a biological shield; whether or not this is generated by the sach’s organ as well is unknown. shock damage is the safest way to deal with the stalkers; they tend to back off once their shields are compromised.

they also have the ability to fire these keratin-like spikes from their tail, on top of having claws and being able to glide short distances. this implies a fine bone structure and the possession of some ridiculously fast-dividing cells. also, stalkers can bite. they prefer to engage from a distance, according to my assistant’s observations.

the ones they snapped in this picture are a variant unique to oasis! they’re called tri-tail stalkers, after their tails. they possess three spikes rather than just the one found in normal stalkers. as such, they lob three times the spikes! that’s triple the chance of getting hit! it leaves a pretty nasty scar, apparently.

but i guess you’d have a cool story to tell! bonus fact: these stalkers also apparently use their tails to ‘fish’. i’ve never seen it, so i can’t really verify if it’s just a rumor the locals began as a way of attracting tourists.


	10. varkids (part one)

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/144542257394/drawn-by-siins-submitted-by-kingbendrick-and) TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #25478 TO #25484// -

submitted by _kingbendrick_ and _strippin_.

> THESE ARE SO GROSS, WHY DIDN’T ANYBODY TELL US THEY TRANSFORMED

**subject: varkids (non-tropical)**

varkids are widely considered a pest on the west coast, particularly in the caustic caverns (formerly), wam bam island and the tundra express! that doesn’t stop me from thinking what amazing critters they are! varkids come in two varieties, tropical and non-tropical. we’re looking at the non-tropical varieties until i can afford a vacation to wam bam island to examine the other type (and hopefully my girlfriend can come along too).

what’s special about varkids is that if they’re under attack, the larval varkids burrow down into the ground and generate a safe little ‘pod’ that the adult version emerges from! otherwise, they’re content to chill near their conical shaped hives. when they attack, they tend to headbutt or use their stinger to do so. their stings are not exactly toxic, but they do hurt!

unfortunately, varkids also produce a volatile fluid that’s a common ingredient in explosives so a lot of people tend to kill them to harvest said fluids. luckily, varkids have lots of babies to counteract this and impacted populations bounce back from harvests relatively quickly!

the adult varkids can fly in comparison to the larval forms. they can also spit acid, so if harvesting varkids, it’s advisable to wear a shield with some form of corrosive damage resistance! not that i’m advocating harvesting them, but once they tend to establish in an area, it’s very difficult to exterminate or relocate them. i recommending soliciting the help of freelancers who can help ‘move’ these critters out.

my assistant informs me that the adult’s wings can be shot off to engage the varkid on ground but they have a vicious headbutt move that results in a bit of bruising if one is hit. it’s apparently worse if the varkid morphs into the further stages (yes, they do have other stages).

sometimes when varkids morph or emerge from their nest, it can result in colorful mutations or unique individuals (so that implies some sort of genetic variation going on; i would kill for a genetic analysis of these fascinating organisms, hang on, i’m just kidding :) ). the one that appears in the picture two lovely people sent is likely a queen of some sort?

based on personal experience, uprooting the hives reveals a very large, angry varkid (likely female? it’s hard to figure out if individuals are sexually dimorphic or not but that’s pandoran wildlife for you). that said, the hives actually the reproductive organs that jut out from the ground. which adds another layer of ‘cool but gross’ to varkid research (and this is why i always wear gloves when handling stuff out in the wild; saves me from washing my hands over and over again).

the known forms of varkids are:

  * larval
  * adult
  * badass
  * super badass
  * ultimate badass



my assistant tells me that they’ve fought a varkid that once progressed past ‘ultimate badass’ (who even comes up with these names) but i think they’re just pulling my leg! no varkid could ever achieve that level of advanced growth so quickly, unless they’re lucky!


	11. varkids (part two)

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/145084878059/drawn-by-siins-submitted-by-teep-and-ravs-hey) TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #19423 TO #19432 // -

submitted by _teep_ and _ravs_. **  
**

> hey ravs, nothing bad can possibly fucking happen if we let this thing grow for shits and giggles, right?

**subject: varkids (non-tropical)**

my assistant and their lovely friend finally deigned to release these photos of the time they spent ‘cleaning’ up the caustic caverns.

there are several varieties of varkids to be seen in these photos! you already know what the larval forms look like, but in these photos, you can see the adult forms, plus the other known forms, including one very lucky shot of a super badass in the form of becoming an ultimate badass varkid!

blood varkids are otherwise named for their coloration. i think they’re sort of like the defenders of the weak or are a prominent mutation, since they’ve been seen to morph into the same versions of adult varkids. otherwise, blood varkids are basically the same as normal larval varkids. they are flightless and weak but are just as quick to go into pod form.

as the varkid progresses into the advanced adult forms, the abilities, size and aggression of the varkid increases! the badass varkids (a lovely dark green) possess a chitinous hide that is capable of repelling most bullets. shooting the varkid in this stage can sometimes result in shots being reflected towards the shooter! however, this new ability causes the varkid to become more vulnerable to corrosive flavored weapons.

for some reason, my assistant is more than happy to prove it; usually i have to bribe them into cooperating. i’d love to see if the chitin collected could be used as plating but it’s hard to get samples when said samples are riddled with bullet holes and acid marks.

at this point, i suspect that the varkid is now too heavy to fly, though they are capable of doing so. perhaps their larger form is simply too cumbersome to use for flight? they have a tendency to burrow underground and ram into their foes, starting from the super badass stage.

the super badass stage (denoted by yellow) loses the protection gained from the previous form but it also gains a deadlier spit attack that is more spread out. i hypothesize that this form is the precursor for varkid reproduction, since the next (and final?) form spits underdeveloped varkids as a form of an attack. it sounds gross, but cool, at the same time!

the last known stage is the ultimate badass (a reddish brown color). these are rarely seen out in the wild. given the length of time needed for the varkid to morph into them, it’s no wonder why since they require roughly two minutes in a pod to reach that stage. the pods for all stages are easily destroyed.

apparently, the varkid inside is apparently reduced to goo when transforming (sort of like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly) since i’ve never found a corpse of a varkid whenever my assistant destroys them. the goo is supposedly strawberry flavored. i still wouldn’t recommend eating the goo for fun.

i also still haven’t figured out why varkids drop guns or loot when they die. perhaps they just eat the goods so if anybody goes through the corpses, the goods can be picked up?


	12. craboids

\- // PLEASE [CLICK](http://borderlandscast.tumblr.com/post/147534687514/submitted-by-nilesy-and-monkfish-aww-look-at) TO PROCEED TO IMAGES #21675, #21676, #21773 // -

submitted by _nilesy_ and _monkfish_.

> aww, look at these cute- YOU DID NOT JUST TRY TO RIP OFF MY PINKIE TOE WITH YOUR PINCER.

> you shall not pass.

**subject: craboids**

> these tiny saltwater critters (well, tiny in the sense that they’re relatively small compared to everything else on pandora) are native to wam bam island! these are thought to be distantly related to crab worms, given certain similarities. only a genetic analysis of both will reveal the truth but alas, i’ll just have to stick with the theory until I have some way of getting proof!
> 
> craboids are claimed to be one pandora’s seafood delicacies. i’ve never had the chance to sample what they taste like; come to think of it, seafood is a rarity on this planet (i wonder if i have enough saved up yet for a vacation).
> 
> surprisingly, these creatures burrow effectively in the sand despite their oddly shaped shell! they emerge at all hours of the day and night, though prefer nighttime given that they’re easy prey. I suspect that they’re opportunistic scavengers, based on the fact that nilesy reports that he threw what was left of his bait onto the beach and a couple of craboids began to fight over it.
> 
> other than they, they’re also territorial like any other critter and while they do gather in numbers, they are also gutsy enough to take on threats on their own. that’s pretty brave if I do say so! a mass migration is rumored to occur with every seasonal change up on the beach where the craboids aim to breed and have tons of babies, given how low they are on the food chain! which sort of makes sense. imagine a pandora wide craboid invasion! that’d be something.
> 
> there also rumors of giant specimens cropping up from time to time due to environmental pressures. you can see one in the other photo nilesy also sent in! it apparently snuck into the aquarium while the fisherman was doing maintenence. the fisherman also would like to helpfully report that craboid shells do reflect bullets and surprisingly, all manner of incendiary damage (perhaps their shell have properties similar to that of varkid shell?). it leads me to the conclusion that the fisherman fought it with their bare hands.
> 
> my super fantastic awesome girlfriend says that she’d pay to see that (provided that nobody gets hurt in the end). 


	13. larva crab worms

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submitted by _saberial_.

> check these out! nothing a good punch won’t solve, according to ravs.

**subject: craboids**

> these are the larger, distant relatives of craboids! they take up residence in a series of underground cave systems that run under pandora’s surface. given that, they are almost blind and rely on their sense of hearing, touch and smell to get by. anything is fair game to them (by ‘anything’, it’s ‘whatever wanders into the caves’, which ranges from lost skags to blundering humans, judging from all the skeletons).
> 
> the larva crab worms treat the ground as though it’s water; like craboids, they can burrow in and out of the ground with ease. they also use their pincers to deal damage, as well as spitting a sticky substance that’s like slag (without the side effects of burning your skin and colouring it purple).
> 
> most people assume that they’re simply purple crustaceans but in reality (as my gorgeous girlfriend proved by pulling one out of the ground for me with her bare hands; her guns alone deserve their own paper because that’s how amazing they are), their hind body is closer to that of a thresher! that would explain how they can get about through the ground. if they had legs, they would all become tangled up in the dirt! or get ripped off during fights.
> 
> it makes me wonder what sort of ancestor crab worms possessed for it to develop such specialized anatomy! the caves must have been flooded at some point for it to evolve in such a way! that wouldn’t be surprising, since pandora’s past geography and climate indicates that it’s entirely possible.
> 
> now the question is, can the flesh be cooked and eaten…? there’s only one way to find out.


	14. shugguraths and rathyds (part one)

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**subject: shuggurath of ice and freezing rathyds**

> these interesting creatures are restricted to the triton flats on elpis! they can apparently survive in the oxygen-deprived atmosphere on pandora’s moon. people generally regard them as threats so there hasn’t been much done about these fascinating creatures. i believe that they’re fascinating because they’re buoyant; that is, they float! you know how balloons pop once they go high enough? 
> 
> shugguraths must be using some sort of undiscovered gas, plus have to be light enough to float along. i simply must have a specimen sent down! i could ask minty but i’m a little scared of her. maybe my girlfriend can ask her, i think they know each other- my, your face has gone all red! where are you going- maybe my other assistant knows minty. they’ve been to the moon before! don’t you sign ‘hahahahaha, no’ at me, mister! or ma’am! all my assistants are being very unhelpful today!
> 
> back to shugguraths. shugguraths also come in a number of different varieties:
> 
>   * spectral (they are like stalkers in that they use active camouflage! otherwise, that’s their only quirk)
>   * energized (electric types ftw, heh, my other assistant is rubbing off on me)
>   * badass (i don’t know who named this but that is horribly misleading; it’s actually on fire in _space_ )
>   * shuggurath (it’s corrosive and i don’t know why they just left the name as it is rather than calling it ‘acidic’ or something becuase boy, that is a missed opportunity)
>   * shuggurath of ice (exactly what the name implies! in my opinion, ‘ice shuggurath’ would have been easier to say)
> 

> 
> shugguraths do function as hives for smaller, one-eyed winged creatures called rathyds. rathyds can be dragged out of a shuggurath’s hide through the multiple orifices on the shuggurath’s hide. the rathyds do function like rakks and a rakk hive; the relationship appears to be mutualistic and it’s not clear if rathyds are the offspring of shugguraths! that’s another thing genetic sequencing can solve! nobody’s ever seen any shugguraths give birth or lay eggs so i would assume that rathyds do grow into shugguraths as they mature.
> 
> rathyds also come in a variety of different types:
> 
>   * rathyd (normal kind)
>   * brutal (like the normal kind but they apparently hit harder)
>   * stinging (they shoot spines that have acid in them, ouch)
>   * badass (again, this is misleading but they come from the ‘sigh’, badass shugguraths so they can apparently...shoot lasers from their eye? must see this in person to verify!)
>   * smoldering (that’s better! surprise, they spit fire)
>   * freezing (they are cold, as their name implies)
> 

> 
> rathyds do defend shugguraths from any threats and will flock back to the shuggurath if left alone. all rathyds do have stingers and they do use them! in most cases, the rathyd will be of the same element as the shuggurath that they come from, which is further proof that rathyds are shuggurath progeny. maybe shugguraths are one of those creatures that don’t need other creatures around to reproduce? they’d be like stalkers then.


	15. sand worm queen & sand worm grub

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submitted by  _rythian_.

> I thought I dreamed visiting this one Vault, but then I found these photos…? Never mind. I think it’s best you don’t ask too many questions because I have far too many of my own.

**subjects: sand worm queen & sand worm grub**

> the sand worm queen is a rare find, as are the grubs! sand worm queens tend to reside in caverns that are untouched by humans. this includes those that conceal the kind of ruins that my former assistant is so fond of finding and exploring.
> 
> compared to the more common specimens, the sand worm queen has a much more potent spit acid attack than regular sand worms. the queen can spit out a stream rather than a volley for those who dare to fight up close. the queen so also armed with teeth and has no qualms about using them, as my former assistant found out, based on the clip they also included!
> 
> the grubs are incredibly vicious, starting from the moment they’re born, assisting ‘mom’ in defending their territory from intruders. they don’t have the acid attack (which i theorize to develop as they get older so that no accidents in the colony can happen) but they can however, bite. there are also a lot of them at any given time; perhaps sand worm queens give live birth?
> 
> that’s a lot of twins! the queens are very prolific breeders, i must say, because look at how many grubs there are! perhaps they’re like stalkers in that they reproduce asexually? it’s simply a massive shame that my former assistant didn’t get a video of the birthing process.
> 
> the grubs are apparently a local delicacy when one can grill them, according to a contact who lives in the area. hunting the grubs down is usually not worth the risk of having one’s face melted off in the process. aside from that bit of trivia, i’m not sure how my former assistant got out of there alive since the queens don’t stop attacking until whatever’s in their territory’s dead. i’m going to simply assume luck was a factor because i’d have stayed behind- i’m also not sure what the creature behind the queen is. i’m sure it’s just a statue! 


	16. volcanic crystalisks

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submitted by  _rythian_. additional comment added by  _teep_.

> I’m not sure how I ended up here (wherever here is; there’s Hyperion tech everywhere but it’s all dead), but I thought you might like these shots of…crystal disks. Or whatever they’re called.
> 
> more like crystal dicks.

**subject: volcanic crystalisks**

> my former assistant's just proved me wrong in that there are more varieties of crystalisks than i (or anyone, really) thought! these volcanic specimens reside next to lava. or magma. i’m not a volcano expert (volcanologist sounds really  _cool_ ) so i can’t tell you what that stuff is.
> 
> however, what I can tell you is that the stuff it’s submerged in is very, very hot! crystalisks have been found living in cold climates, so I erroneously assumed that they couldn’t tolerate hot environments but these shots prove otherwise! crystalisks can indeed, survive being dunked in lava! it doesn’t show any signs of enjoying it but since we have no way of reading their minds, i’ll just assume that it’s a very pleasant sensation, like a hot bath.
> 
> this must mean their crystals potentially have industry changing properties; crystals don’t exactly like being dunked in superheated liquids, so there must be something special about a crystalisks’ crystals.
> 
> cool fact! crystalisk blood is light blue! so they're not completely inorganic!
> 
> otherwise, my former assistant informs me that these crystalisks behave exactly like regular crystalisks. and here, i disappointingly quote ‘no, i didn’t see them sunbathe next to the lava. actually, i don’t even think they’re  _alive_  to begin with!’ which is wrong because behavioural studies demonstrate that they are very much alive! we still don’t know what they eat, if at all.
> 
> so, what exactly are crystalisks? we’ve been able to use tranquilliser darts. dissections demonstrate a rudimentary circulatory system that is buried deep inside the animal, while the rest of it is actually incredibly thick hide supplemented by crystals that either grow on there naturally or are implanted into the skin after crystalisks are born!
> 
> don’t get me started on how these things reproduce. maybe those crystal things in the fridge are crystalisk eggs waiting to hatch? i must try to get one and hatch it! maybe i’ll put it in the oven but i got to remember to warn my assistants.
> 
> i also think it’s better to keep the recipe of the darts and the locations of these crystalisks under wraps; we wouldn’t want these gorgeous creatures to be hunted down for their crystals, would we?


	17. volatile crystalisks

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submitted by  _ravs_.

> well, i’ve always liked it a little ‘rough’, but these things give the word a new definition.

**subject: volatile crystalisks**

> more pictures (of the non-blurry kind) from the cleaning up of the caustic caverns! how my friend managed to get close enough to a crystalisk without being charged, perforated or stomped is incredible (not that he wholly deserves the praise or anything, but crystalisks are grumpy enough without being constantly hounded for photos).
> 
> crystalisks do have a mutualistic relationship with rakks! it’s hard to say what both species are getting out of the relationship, given how unusual crystalisks are. perhaps the rakks benefit from the kills the crystalisks generate and the rakks simply preen them for bits and pieces of flesh that get stuck in their hides? i’m perhaps fantasising too much; i have never seen a rakk preen any other different species aside from their own, and i doubt the crystalisks like being disturbed.
> 
> i could always ask my friend who has a rakk of her own to check if it preens her but it seems more bitey than anything.
> 
> what i do suspect is that the rakks function as lookouts for the crystalisks. both species work together to eliminate the disturbance (from stalkers to bandits to mercenaries looking to clean up the place).
> 
> i’m close to collecting enough samples to send them off to a proper place to be analysed! i can’t wait until i get the results back so i can write them up and submit them! the postal service on pandora does wonders for urgent deliveries. if you’re thinking that this is a shout out to those couriers, then it is!


	18. mini crystalisks & mini exploding crystalisks

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submitted by  _teep_ and  _turpster._

> IT JUST GAVE BIRTH, HOLY SHIT, THIS IS NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR

**subject: mini crystalisks & mini exploding crystalisks**

> AREN’T THEY ADORABLE, JUST LOOK AT HOW TINY THEY ARE!
> 
> note: the rest of this entry is incoherent screaming and sounds. - saberial


	19. rakk hive (hibernating)

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submitted by  _ravs_.

> what happens if i poke it?

**subject: rakk hive (hibernating)**

> this is a rakk hive which is hibernating! ravs found this sleeping giant back when he was…oh, i’m not supposed to say that you were a former bandit? sorry! i suspect that the holes located within a rakk hive’s hump are connected to its lungs, which therefore, help it to breathe once it burrows down into the ground! why and how does it burrow into the ground? we don’t know! nobody’s ever seen a rakk hive prepare for hibernation!
> 
> it could be that the hive itself isn’t aware of what happens when it lies down. stuff covers it up, or it may burrow on its own to make itself comfortable! a bit like skags turning around a few times before sleeping.
> 
> you should never,  _ever_  disturb a rakk hive. ravs and his gang found this out the hard way. the rakks living within the rakk hive  _do not_ hibernate! and will attack anybody who disturbs the rakk hive!
> 
> note: dissections performed on dead rakk hive corpses reveal a diaphragm (need more bodies to confirm) between the rakk hive lungs and rakks living in the hump? rakks capable of doing physical damage when spooked. diaphragm is tough and yet, flexible to allow airway movement. i should put these notes in my other notebook before they get lost (again).


	20. drifters (wetland)

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submitted by  _teep_ and _nanosounds._

> > look at this mutant one
> 
> > spit at someone else
> 
> > try talking tough now that youre dead
> 
> look at this one we killed in the desert with a monster! - nanosounds 
> 
> > im about to shoot an unsuspecting you in the ass bc you wont stop laying eggs underneath the lift
> 
> > the stabbiest assholes youll ever meet in a swamp or desert
> 
> teep? where did you get this shot? this wouldn’t have been when you randomly wandered off a few nights ago, would it? teep? - zoeya
> 
> eggs are eaten by all sorts of fauna! the blue lines are trackers that my assistant put on! - zoeya
> 
> they're largely left unattended to hatch on their own! - zoeya

**subject: drifter (wetland)**

> i covered desert drifters last time! these wetland variants tend to be more solitary and slightly less smaller (though my assistant tells me that the only thing that matters is if they’re chasing you).
> 
> a queen lays a clutch of large, yellow eggs (which look like a glowy version of their abdomen) in either a cave or leave them sitting around in a swamp. their eggs are a delicacy in the swamp region on the west coast! i’m guessing that other animals will snack on these eggs if they’re left unattended, so maybe that’s why not very many drifters survive to adulthood?
> 
> drifters can submerge in an ambush like their desert cousins and are somewhat territorial. they can be outrun in a fanboat, thankfully. they do have a ranged, spitting corrosive attack which also helps them to digest their prey (i think they eat skags, people, bullymongs, scaylions, boroks; nothing’s off-limits for these).
> 
> close-ups of dead specimens reveal that aside from size and minor anatomical differences, there’s not that much obvious similarity between them and their desert cousins. they might be sub-species?


	21. boroks

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submitted by  _teep_.

> > what are you looking at im not your mum

> > gore yourself

> > catch me now fuckers

> > this isnt whats hot these days is it

> > shocking transformation

> > this guys personality is like acid: painful

> > a tiny boy

> > who is about to die

**subject: boroks**

> located within aegrus (that’s the really swampy area, where one of my first laboratories was located), boroks are massive quadrupedal creatures. they’re protected by chitinous plates all over and tend to live in social groups of more than three individuals! they live in dens burrowed into the side of cliffs or rocks! they’re limited to swampy regions, and like most things on pandora, they’re territorial! otherwise, they’re content to be observed from a distance.
> 
> there are several kinds of boroks:

  * armoured borok (these are the greyish big ones)
  * borok (these are a pale green but my assistant’s reported seeing pink coloured ones)
  * borokling (tiny and a vivid red)
  * badass corrosive borok (green and er…very spitty)
  * badass fire borok (orange and hot)
  * badass shock borok (blue and crackling)
  * badass slag borok (purple and goopy)



> boroks tend to charge and stamp, alternating between bellowing and attacking. they do gang up on someone once someone steps into their ‘territory’; the horn marks on nearby trees, rocks and dung piles mark their borders. poking through their dung piles indicates an omnivorous diet. maybe they feed on the floating giant spores when they can?

> the large flap of skin on a borok’s throat is how they communicate and their bellows do carry a fair distance if they’re sufficiently provoked! they don’t appear to care about having a single mate; i’ve seen boroks er…carry on amongst themselves (which just goes to show that everything on pandora is really gay).
> 
> their single horns are marketed as some sort of performance enhancer! i do have some horns packed away for analysis once i get back to my proper laboratory so maybe that’s why boroks aren’t as widespread as they used to be (according to the people in the local ‘undercarriage’ bar). i’m not sure if the horns grow back, and if it’s made out of the same material as their plates? must check this.
> 
> i’m not sure why there’s some individuals that take after maliwan elemental products. maybe the run offs from old dumping sites like dahl and atlas mutated some of the creatures? it would explain the slag types but not the other ones. unless it’s a rare mutation? oh! the acid ones do use their spit to create dens. the incendiary and shock ones serve as sentries and defenders? i haven’t seen any slag specimens prior to that of hyperion moving in so maybe…slag does have mutative properties?
> 
> pandora is a weird and wonderful place to study creatures.


	22. flora (bandit farms)

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submitted by  _zoeya_.

> arsenal let me travel up to one of his bandit camps in the eridium blight to document a small and thriving plantation of bandit kept plants!

**subject: flora (bandit farms)**

bandits are known for being a rowdy bunch of folks, but one thing they know how to do is survive. i requested a friend of a friend to let me have a look at possible flora that bandits prefer to eat; bandits aren’t fauna, but their ability to survive in almost any environment is incredible and inspiring!

aside from stubbornly resisting attempts to be moved around and being just as territorial as the native wildlife, bandits are famous for getting almost anything to grow through persistence, lots of yelling, cursing and tender loving care and um, skag dung (to use a more polite term).

this particular farm here’s tiny and consists of basic greens, both offworld and native grown. this one’s the fifth batch to be tested! the bandits up at the site refused to tell me what they use as fertiliser and compost. it’s probably some sort of bandit secret and not something really obvious, like a careful ratio of nutrients, vitamins and natural stuff!

as for how bandits get seeds, they do trade amongst themselves. there’s a bandit run farmer’s market based out near prosperity junction that i hope to tour soon! the difficulty is in getting in, since it’s bandits only. maybe i’ll ask a friend to be my ambassador. he apparently knows almost all the clans through socialising and previous brawls.


End file.
